In Caught in the Web, director Chen Kaige updates the high-energy brushstrokes of his sweeping historical epics like Farewell My Concubine to describe the modern intrigues of Internet rumor-mongering and office politics. In this fast-moving, densely plotted black dramedy, a faux scandal raised by an ambitious web TV editor comes close to destroying a number of lives, offering a masterful panorama on urban, middle class China. Toronto should be just the first port of call on a long festival voyage, with some crossover into the niches.

The popularity and dangers of Internet discussion boards hardly seems like the kind of thing that would spark the interest of the master of Asian costume dramas set in yesteryear. Yet in his third film with a contemporary setting, Chen effortlessly spins out his familiar themes of scandal, love, power, role-playing and betrayal in a society now dominated by the media and technology. In this sleek modern China, everyone’s out to get something from somebody, selfishness is the rule and “only the mentally ill tell the truth.” The screenplay, co-written with Tang Danian (Beijing Bicycle), is intricate but never confusing and filled with complexly drawn characters, particularly women. Its only real misstep is the dark, sentimental ending, which doesn’t hit quite the right note.

One morning in a big city, a young woman learns she has lymphatic cancer and must be operated on within a week. Shocked by the news, Lanqiu (Gao Yuanyuan) is so preoccupied that on her way to work she refuses to give up her bus seat to an old man and reacts rudely to protests from the other passengers. Unknown to her, cub TV reporter Jiaqi (May Wang) is filming the scene on her cell phone. She proudly presents it to her editor Ruoxi (Yao Chen), who knows a good thing when she sees it, and sends it viral on the net, igniting what comes to be known as “the Sunglasses Girl scandal.” Thanks to a jealous, ambitious co-worker, Lanqiu’s identity is revealed on the web and she is forced to go into hiding. Even the company she works for suffers, as the whole country moralistically shakes its head over her shameless arrogance on the bus.

In truth, Lanqiu is the reserved executive secretary of Mr. Shen (Wang Xueqi), the wily old company president. Uncharacteristically, she bursts into tears in his private office while asking for a loan (for the operation), just as Shen’s wife Mo Xiaoyu (actress and producer Chen Hong) walks in. She misreads the scene entirely and decides to take revenge on the two “lovers”, as subtly and cruelly as a poisoning at court. Still, she has her own backstory and a terrifying master-slave relationship with Shen that partly exonerates her.

She gets in touch with Ruoxi, who is a ruthless and stupidly ambitious young woman, yet also sports a human side. Ruoxi is dating Jiaqi’s hot brother Shoucheng (Mark Chao) and the three of them share a rented apartment, while Ruoxi dreams of making it big so they can buy a bigger place to live.

Shoucheng is a photographer who still has some ethics intact. When his path crosses Lanqiu’s, she offers to hire him for one week, basically to protect her from herself. He cautiously agrees, knowing she’s the victim of an outrageous Internet smear campaign that could lead her to suicide, but not knowing that she’s ill. Naturally, he has to hide the gig from his girlfriend, Ruoxi. She finds out.

Only a top-drawer cast could individualize all these characters. In the main role, the ethereal Gao Yuanyuan (City of Life and Death) is so noble and refined she’s almost a fantasy figure, though she’s unpredictable enough to keep the appealing Chao guessing as her temp bodyguard. He gets to kick up his heels in a playful martial arts fight; she terrifies him in a mini-car chase. They’re cute characters and their inevitable romance has all the more impact for being handled delicately.

The other notable acting pair is the rich Mr. Shen and his trophy wife, always at each other’s throats. Wang Xueqi’s Shen is delightfully cunning and cynical, though he’s a tyrant to his wife. She gets pay-back when she calls Ruoxi for a private chat, but in the last scenes, Chen Hong’s dignity earns respect.
Fast-paced and beautifully shot by Yang Shu, the story is told in theatrical spaces, through curtains and doorways, and inside soaring glass and stone buildings in which all traces of the past have been erased. Meng Ke and Ma Shangyou’s score is varied and touching.

In 2010, Zhang Yuan: Unspoiled Brats was exhibited at Ullens Center for Contemporary Arts in Beijing and the namesake film was completed in 2011. The film focuses on the life of China’s youths in Beijing and the exhibition portrayed the life stories of young Chinese. Over 200 young people applied for major characters in Zhang’s work, and finally ten got the chance to tell their stories in pictures.

Poster for Lu Chuan’s The Last Supper

Filming will complete at the end of October after extending the five month shoot. Liu Ye publicly stated that there is no time limit for the film and scheduled no other films for the rest of the year. Daniel Wu and Chang Chen expressed full support and stood behind the director. Lu Chuan’s demand for detail and texture required many sets to be (re)built(?). (Sina)

Yao Chen watches as Huang Xiaoming get eyedrops prior to the ceremony launching Chen Kaige’s new film, an adaptation of a Japanese fantasy story of a monk set in the Tang Dynasty. Huang recently suffered sudden eye problems while working on Andrew Lau’s The Guillotines.

Cecilia Cheung appeared as a guest on the catwalk in a fall and winter fashion show in Wan Chai, Hong Kong this weekend. And, according to an Oriental Daily report, she and husband Nicholas Tse have reached a final divorce agreement and settlement after a 16 hour negotiation with lawyers. Child custody and property distributions issues have been reached and the agreement has been sealed. Elsewhere, Cecilia is under fire by mainland publicity director for not fulfilling her contractual to promote Treasure Inn on the mainland. So far, she has skipped the MV rollout and premieres in Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Guangzhou. Her company reps defend her and say Cecilia has met her obligations with a March press conference appearance.

According to Hong Kong media reports, Donnie is weighing an offer to appear in producer Avi Lerner’s The Expendables 2. (HunanTV)

Carina Lau, Edison Chen

Carina Lau posted a photo of herself with Edison over the weekend, with the following, “You are a great person. Life is always tough. You got to have faith in yourself.” Netizens figured out that the locale was in Shanghai where Edison attended a club opening and sang three songs before departing. (Sina),

August 4, 2011

Chen is working on a film adaptation of the Chinese novel “Wang Shi”, literally meaning “Deaths on the Internet”, the Oriental Morning Post reports. The novel, written by Wen Yu, was first published and became popular on the Internet, and explores the negative influence of the cyber world on the real world. It was nominated for last year’s Lu Xun Literary Prize, a major award for Chinese literature.

Chen [Kaige] said “Sacrifice” will be released in the U.S. in the second half of the year. Its Japanese release, originally scheduled for May, will likely be delayed by the recent earthquake and tsunami.

Zhou Dongyu, the starlet in Zhang Yimou’s drama “Under the Hawthorn Tree”, has been cast as a lead for Stanley Kwan’s upcoming romantic film, “Ta De Guo” (”His Kingdom”), according to the Guangzhou Daily.

Mo Xiaoqi and Harlem Yu costar with Eason Chan and Rene Liu in Mr. and Mrs. Single (Sina)

The sequel to Ang Lee’s Eat Drink, Man Woman will feature Blue Lan, Huo Siyan and Rose Kuei (Gua Ah-Lei) it was announced this week in Hong Kong. Taiwanese filmmaker Tsao Jui-yuan (Love’s Lone Flower, 2005) will direct the $3m (RMB20m) drama which, like the original, centers on an old master chef and the love stories of his three daughters.This time, the chef is a mainland Chinese chef based in Hangzhou City in East China [played by Kenneth Tsang]. Shooting will start in Hangzhou on April 6 and will shift to Taipei starting in early May. The film should open in Taiwan and the mainland in Nov. (ScreenDaily)

The journalists had been restless since yesterday when they lost the scoop to Hsu’s wedding guests, who gave a virtual ‘live telecast’ of the event with their camera phones and micro-blog posts. (Xinhua)

The building has been featured in several films and TV series over the years. In Enter the Dragon, it can be seen both on the black and white composite photo used to represent Han’s Island during Lee’s briefing with Braithewaite, and as a long shot as Lee enters Han’s island. (Wikipedia)

“It’s the theme of the new economics of China,” he says through an interpreter. “Years and years of tradition are being essentially destroyed and replaced with new customs that are still forming. In the cities, certainly, the changes in the economy have greatly affected everyday life and changed the path of the average person in a way. It affects their outlook on the future.”

“Zhao’s Orphan”, which has seen many stage incarnations in Chinese opera houses, is the story of a rural doctor 2,500 years ago, who saves the newborn son of the chancellor of the Jin Kingdom, whose family is executed because of political slander. The doctor decides to raise the boy so he can avenge his family. (Source)

The Message, starring Zhou Xun and Li Bingbing, tells the story of how the Japanese-controlled puppet government finds an undercover agent among five suspects during China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45).

After Paris and New York, here comes a quartet of love letters to Bangkok - episodes marketed as one feature film, financed by the Thai Public Broadcasting Service, and with the intention of showcasing the country’s capital internationally.

Filming will be begin early next year for Chen’s new film based on Orphans in China. Orphans in China is a play written by Voltaire that itself is a translation of a famous Chinese play Orphan of Zhao. The story is based on a true incident and takes place in the Spring and Autumn Period. Chen intends to build a whole Orphan City a la Bodyguards and Assassins. It will be built in Xiangshan, Zhejiang Province (after much competition from other cities) and encompass 152 acres. Construction of the city has already begun and will be completed by year end. Sun Honglei unexpectedly appeared at the ceremony as the cast is unannounced yet. Sun, who is in demand by both Zhang Yimou and John Woo, said, ‘I am here to cheer on the director. Certainly, if the director invites me, I will participate.’ (Xinhuanet.com)

Zhao Wei

Zhao Wei is in studio working on Mulan’s post-production dubbing. Of great interest, was whether her real voice would be used. Earlier, it was reported that her voice was considered too harsh and heavy. However, it was considered fitting and consistent for the role. In the end, the rumors proved unfounded. Zhao Wei’s voice is recognizable and distinct, and she refused to be dubbed. Since, Mulan had been in the battlefield many years disguised as a man, her voice cannot be soft. Zhao Wei said, ‘I have faith in my voice. The role is different from my other roles. I am a man standing over hundreds of generals so the sound of my voice will be certainly different.’ (Sina.com) [You go, girl!]

Ekin Cheng

Ekin hopes to recapture the spirit of Storm Riders in Storm Warriors 11 years later. (Sina.com)

Though at a reportedly huge cost of 100 million yuan, the new project had draw the public to question if it could outdo the widely applauded 1980 TV series of “Journey to The West”, the first - and so far the best - small screen production of the classic novel.

HK PICKS (HK Magazine)
Oppai Volleyball
(Japan) Japanese comedy about a young teacher who promises to show her “oppai” (breasts) to the geeky, all-male school volleyball team in an effort to spur them into winning the big game.

KOFICThirst to Premiere at Montreal’s Fantasia
PARK Chan-wook’s acclaimed vampire-thriller Thirst will have its North American premiere screening at the 13th Fantasia Film Festival, running July 9 – 27 in Montreal, Canada. The fest will screen over 100 feature films mainly from Asia, the United States and Europe.

Thirst became a Korean-American co-production when Universal Pictures boarded the project while in production. It is to be released in the United States in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco on July 31, with a release in Canada through Alliance-Vivafilm also planned.

It is PARK’s second film to win a Cannes competition prize, taking the Jury Prize at this year’s festival, following a Grand Prize win in 2004 for the director’s international breakthrough, Old Boy.

The Fantasia Festival audience originally discovered PARK Chan-wook in 2001 with his first Korean hit, Joint Security Area followed by Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance in 2003, the first film of his « Vengeance » trilogy.

Korean Line-up at Fantasia Int’l Film Fest
North America’s largest genre film fest, the Fantasia International Film Festival boasts an impressive line-up of notable Korean films this year; among them the North American premiere of PARK Chan-wook’s Cannes-winning vampire drama, Thirst. Held annually in Montreal, Canada, the event will run from July 9 – 29 at several theaters in the city.

Along with PARK’s latest is Crush and Blush, a film he produced for debut director LEE Kyoung-mi. Two int’l festival favorites, NOH Young-seok’s micro-budget but acclaimed debut, Daytime Drinking, and JANG Hun’s Rough Cut will screen. Both films have had their Canadian rights bought by Canada’s Evokative Films which plans to release Rough Cut in Canadian theaters in January of 2010.

Rotterdam winner Breathless by YANG Ik-june will screen along with sleeper hit of 2008, The Chaser by NA Hong-jin. LEE Yoon-ki’s Seoul odyssey, My Dear Enemy and KWAK Jae-young’s Japanese made Cyborg, She, were also invited. Other films in the program include the more commercially made Korean films Private Eye, The Divine Weapon, Portrait of a Beauty, and GoGo 70s.

Anthony Wong puzzled, Why send to the cable station? Why not send directly to Edison? It must be a practical joke. The whole thing is very strange, the police should investigate. This time they send a bullet, next time they send a bomb?… When he meets Edison for a meal he will have to wear a bullet-proof vest and helmet!http://ent.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/nw/show.cgi/2/3/1/208103/1.html

Pop pair face more time behind bars
Hong Kong singing stars Kelvin Kwan Chor- yiu and Wei Si will remain locked up in Tokyo for at least another week until Japanese prosecutors make public the case against them for alleged possession of marijuana.